


Goodbye, My Lover

by richietortellini



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Angst, Break Up, M/M, Reddie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 11:24:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15629718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/richietortellini/pseuds/richietortellini
Summary: At the end of their high school career, Eddie takes a step in the wrong direction.





	Goodbye, My Lover

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really know if this will ever be continued. For now it's only considered an angsty oneshot. Enjoy~!

Richie’s stomach fell to his feet.

“ _Break up?_  What—what do you mean break up, Eddie Bear?”

Eddie was standing there across from Richie, arms crossed tightly over his chest as if the action would stop his heart from aching.

“You know what I mean, Richie. I just—I think it’s best. I mean, we’re going to different universities, in different states. I just don’t see how it’s going to work.”

“We’ll make it work.” Richie spoke suddenly, stepping forward and resting his hands on both of his boyfriend’s arms. His boyfriend.  _His Eddie_.

Eddie shook his head, “That’s four years apart, Rich. Four years. At least. We’re gonna go our own ways and make new friends and new memories. You’ve already got a job lined up at one of the news stations over there, how’re you gonna have time to talk to me?”

“I’ll write. I’ll write you every day, baby. You know that.” Richie tried to ignore the way his eyes were burning. He was sure they were already bloodshot, though he refused to cry. Not yet. He wouldn’t let Eddie do this.

“You will. At first.” Eddie sighed, “Rich, I don’t want to wait. I don’t want to be distracted and always looking at the phone. I don’t want to keep thinking about whether a letter has come or not. I don’t—I don’t want to worry that you found someone else—”

“Eddie,  _there is no one else_. There’ll never be anyone else, baby.  _Don’t do this_.” His hands were cradling Eddie’s face then, fingertips curling into the others soft, curly hair. His whole being had swelled with emotion. Emotions the teen hadn’t felt before. But mostly, fear. And that was something he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

Lips pursed tightly as he tried to halt the feeling building up inside him, Eddie soon shook his head. Hands to Richie’s wrists, he pried the others hands away from his face.

“Rich, don’t make this harder than it has to be. Please.”

“But I love you.” The words were sputtered out quickly, turning his hands in Eddie’s to lace long fingers through short. “I love you so much, Eds. Don’t do this.”

Eddie pulled away, stepping back.

“Richard, stop. Stop it, please.” His arms folded over his chest once more, “I don’t want to spend the better half of four years hanging onto something that might—"

“That might?”

“That might not work. How do we even know that this’ll work? That we’ll work?”

“I know we will, Eddie. I know we will.” his hands were held out, desperately begging, beckoning for the other to come closer once more; the space between them causing his stomach to twist in a horrible way. Space never meant anything good.

“How? How could you possibly know that, Richie?”

“Because I love you. I love you so much, Eds. You know that.”

Eddie sighed, “I know. I know, Rich.”

The silence lingered between the both of them for some long moments, and Richie’s hands reluctantly fell to his sides. He stood there, slouching some as his eyes stayed stuck on the seemingly anxious boy across from him.

“I should go.” 

And that’s when the tears fell. Finally pulling his gaze away from Eddie, Richie turned his head away and let his eyes to the floor beside him. His throat tightened, and for the first time in his life, Richie found himself unable to speak. He shook his head.

Eddie was reaching for the door.

“Please don’t go—Eddie, please.” Richie stepped forward, taking Eddies’ nearest arm in both his hands. “Baby—baby, don’t do this. Don’t. Don’t go.”

“Richard—” Eddie’s voice was nothing short of pained; tired even as he turned teary eyes toward the taller boy. “ _Please_.”

It was the defeat in his tone that left Richie shaking, only able to shake his head once more before, finally, letting Eddie go, arms falling to his sides once more as he cried. Eddie smiled, or, he tried to smile. It was shaky and forced as the tears rolled down his cheek.

Cracking the door open then, Eddie stepped out for what they both thought, both hoped, would only be a short few years.

Eddie wouldn’t remember. Neither of them would. 

Nothing of their childhood and teen years spent together at the Quarry, avoiding the Kissing Bridge, riding old bikes through the streets of Derry, cracking jokes at one another’s expense, sharing secret kisses under the bleachers and under blankets.

All their promises of love and a shared life went with Eddie walking out the door. Richie wouldn’t remember the boy who left, but he remembered his tears. He remembered the door. He remembered how it stayed ajar; even long after someone, a distant memory, a missing piece, was long gone.

He still sleeps with the door open.


End file.
